The Midnight Library
Maybe there are no easy paths. There are just paths!
Do you guys know about Schrodinger’s cat experiment?
An unobservable cat in a box with one radioactive substance vial and a hammer. If the substance decays, cat can live. If a hammer smashes the vial, the kitty dies.
I think this was the experiment. The cat is a quantum particle. Until the box is opened, the cat can be assumed alive and dead at the same time. If only the box opens, we will get to know the actual state of being dead or alive. Weird, isn’t it? I know! Quantum Physics works with its own rules and regulations which might sound bizarre.
More on Schrodinger’s Cat Experiment can be found here
How is it related to The Midnight Library’s book review? You might be thinking this. Okay, let me start.
The protagonist was a great swimmer in school but she quits because of pressure. She left a musical band because she couldn’t get to terms with her co-members. Her relationships are all in shambles. She is only left with a cat Voltaire and a friend Izzy living in Australia.
Nora Seed was a young girl with a disappointing life before she decides to commit suicide. When she disappears from Earth, she finds herself between life and death. A LIBRARY!
The Midnight Library
We wonder at times if we would have done that our lives would have been different. For me, if I wouldn’t meet my girlfriend, would I be writing this newsletter? I don’t know!
And, that’s what The Midnight Library does to Nora Seed - a chance to relive her life where she made different decisions. Like a decision where she never quit swimming and became an Olympian medalist. She gets to live a life where she became a lead singer of a musical band. There are infinite lives and Nora gets to live all of them. She just gets a book from the library, steps into it, and SHAZAM! If she likes life, she can stay there. If she doesn’t, she can come back and relive the other ones.
Does she find the best life for herself? Or, she eventually finds death?
You can find The Midnight Library book on Amazon. Click here to buy!
My take
I was traveling from Chennai to Kolkata that day. I have loads of time to kill after check-in. And, I see Higginbotham's store. I go there and found this book. The name caught my eye and so did the summary.
I started reading it there and then. And, within a few days, the book was finished, That’s what this book is! Keeps you hooked!
I had never read Matt Haig’s work before. And, I must tell you this book was spellbinding and keeps you engrossed all the time. The storyline stays crisp. The story sticks to the protagonist. And, that’s it! You always want to know what’s going to happen in Nora’s life if she wouldn’t take this decision in her life. Mr. Haig has displayed all her “could-be” lives in the book which not only makes the storyline interesting but also leaves a few questions in your head. CONTEMPLATE YOUR LIFE!!
I think it is easy to imagine there are easier paths,’ she said, realising something for the first time. ‘But maybe there are no easy paths. There are just paths.
If you feel lost or think your path could have been different, this is the book for you. It will cheer you up, bring a big smile to your face, and give you a new perspective on life.
Currently Reading: Spare
Love, Vishal!